Overview

• SpaceX launched from Starbase, Texas, on Aug. 26 after scrubs caused by a ground‑system liquid‑oxygen leak Sunday and poor weather Monday.
• The upper stage released eight dummy Starlink satellites, marking Starship’s first payload deployment during flight testing.
• Engineers completed an in‑space Raptor relight and ran heat‑shield trials using varied tile designs to probe reentry limits.
• Both stages executed planned ocean splashdowns following test maneuvers, with the booster practicing landing‑burn profiles for data collection.
• The FAA cleared the test after closing its Flight 9 probe, and NASA’s Sean Duffy said the success advances work toward the Starship Human Landing System targeted for Artemis III.